Improvement in magazine breech-loading fire-arms



H. E. WHEELER.

Magazine Gun.

No. 46,286. Patented Feb. 7, 1865.

rm: mama's pzrsns cm, WASHINGTON, n c.

art to practice it.

UNITE STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

- HENRY F. WHEELER, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAGAZINE BREEQH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,286.1lated February 7, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description-of my invention sufiicient to enable those skilled in the My invention relates to the construction of that class of magazine or repeating fire-arms inserted at the breech, is fired by driving the barrel back against a percussion or breech block. r e

The invention also consists in the construction, arrangement, and mode of operating the barrel, the magazine, and the breech-or percussion block.

A pistol embodying my improvements is shown in the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 representing side elevations thereof, with the side or face plate of the stock or handle removed. Fig. 3 is a top view, showing, partly in section, the mechanism for driving backtheb'a rrel. Fig; 4 is an end view of the pistol. Fig. 5.is a. rear-end view of the barrel Fig. 6., a cross-section of it; Fig. 7, a top view 01;. the 'magazinetube and breech or percussion block, and Fig. 8 a front-end view thereof. Fig. 9 is an edge view of the trigger-lever. I

a denotes the handle or stock of the pistol; b, the barrel; 0, the triggerd a movable breech or percussion piece, an e thecartridgemagazine. The barrel b is contained withina long cylinder or case,f, in which itslides, its forward end projecting from the case when,

the arm is cooked, as seenin Figs. 1 and 3, and the barrel sliding back when the arm is tired, so that said forward end is or may be fiush'with the corresponding end of its case f, as. seen in Fig. 2..

The exterior and interior diameters of the barrel and its case, respectively} at the murz le end correspond, but-at a short distance wit-hm the case its diameter. isenlarged, as seen in Fig. 3,-and near the breech end of the barrel Be it known that I, HENRY F. WHEELER,

its diameter is enlarged, a spiral spring, 9, surrounding'the barrel 1), abutting at its oppositeends against-the two shoulders formed in the case f and upon the barrel bfsaid spring driving the barrel b against the breech-piece or block d when the piece isfired, and holding it against the forward end of said breech-piece or the magazine connected therewith when the arm is cocked.

The breech-piece d is hung .upon a screw pin, h, extending through the stock rabid] upon the under side of this breech-piece is a long "curved magazine or. cartridge tube, 0, said tube being inade integral with the breechpiece, or so applied to it that they move as one piece, having only a vertical rocking movement upon the pin h. A I The stock or. handle a is made hollow for the movement of the magazine-tube, and a spring, 2', holds the tube (and breech-piece) normally in position, as seen in Fig; 1. Within the magazine-tube are placed the cartridges to be fired, a spring, 7;, pressing them toward. the front end of the tube, as will be readily understood, and as is mon in other arms-- like the Spencer riflgfi i' or instance-having magazine-times within the stock.

In the position seen .in Fig. 1-, it will be observed that the forward end of the tube is in line with the barrel 6, and when brought into this position, as the open end of the barrel and the adjacent end of the tube-come into line, the spring 70, pressing forward the line of carridges, forces the forward one into the barrel,

tube and the breech-piece, resulting in the the flange upon the. rear end of the cartridge shell fitting. into-an enlargement of the'extr'eme end of the barrel, and so that therear end of the cartridge shall be flush, or nearly flush, with the end of the barrel and the cartridge held in position for firing,

The other position which the cartridge-tube and the breech-piece are made to assume (when thearm is fired) is seen in Fig. 2. In this position the forward end of the tube is in line with a supply tube or opening, I, through which the magazine is supplied with cartridges, as will be readily understood, a stopper, m, filling said tube when the magazine has been charged.

The conjoined movement of the magazinee cease loading and firing of the pistol, are produced through a trigger-lever, '0. Just above the finger-ring n this lever turns upon a pin, 0, its upperend extending up within the cavity of the stock, and upon one side oi and in juxtaposition with the breech-piece d. Supposing the arm to have been fired, the upper end of the 10%: c is in the position seen in Fig. 2, its forward side or cdge'being in contact with or near the end of the barrel. By drawing back the finger-ring,the upper end of the lcver,-abutting against the barrel, pushes the barrel forward until the end of thebarrelpasses beyond the end of the cartridge-tube, (or the surface of the plate thereupon,) when the-spring i tilts up the magazine-tube and breech-piece into the position seen in Fig. l, the pressure of the trigger-lever carrying the end of the barrel a little beyond the path of movement of the end of the tube 0, so as to allow of the easy ascent of the tube and the barrel-spring g, causing said end to impinge against the end of the tube e when the pressure upon the trig.- ger-lever is released. it will beobvious thatthe cartridge-tube will now keep the barrel from receding, leaving the triggerflever free. As the cartridge-tube reaches this position its forward cartridge will be projected into the barrel, as before explained.

Z'lhe parts are now in the position seen in Fig. l, the piece bein cocked ready to be fired, which firing is e ected as follows: The finger-ring of the'trigger-lcver'is pressed forward, carrying the upper end of the lever back. A. spring, 2, attached to said lever, carries at its upper end a pin, g, which projects through the lever, as seen in Fig; 9. As the upper end of the lever is forced back the end of this pin;

strikes upon an incline, r, in the face of the breech-piece. (Seen in Fig. l, and also in Fig, 8.) This incline forces back the pin g and spring p, causing the pin to slide over the side face of the breech-block until in its movement it reaches a depression or groove, :9, indie face of "the block, when the spring 'i'orces'ba'ch the pin, which enters this groove at its lower end, the other parts remaining stationary in the position seen in Fig. 1 during this move ment oi the trigger-lever. lei/er into the position seen by dotted lines in Fig, i, If, new, the linger-ring or trigger c be drawn back, it will be obvious that the action of the pin q u'pon the lower surface of the groove 8 will depress the cartridgetnbe and the breech-biock. When in this movement the upper surface of the tube 6, or the-plate snrnlounting the same, is carried below or beyond' the lower edge of the barrel b, which impinges against it, said barrel will be projected or forced by its spring back against the forward face of the breech-piece d, as shown in Fig. 2, thepiercer t penetrating the rear end oi the cartridge by the percussion'of the barrel, thereby exploding the i'uhninatcof the cartrid-re and nring'thc pistol, The rear movement 0% the barrel is or may he arrested by a sheets or shoulder in the stock, its movement,

This brings said however, being always suflicient to allow the explosion of the cartridge by percussion against the breech-piece or its cartridge-pierccr t.

The firing of the pistol by the rear movement of its barrel leaves the parts in position as seen in Fig. 2. Pressure forward of the upper end of the lever will then carry back the pin q, allowing it to ride over the face of the breech-block, to force forward the barrel. Each depression of the cartridge-tube each time thepistol is fired carries its toward cndinto line with the supply-tube I, so that whenever it is desirable to reload the pistol after a discharge it can be effected. v

The shell of the cartridge, after firing, is removed as follows: A tooth, u, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) projects from the upper surface of the cartridge-tube or the cap-plate surinounting the same. This tooth fits into or enters a slot, 1:, made in the rear end of the barrel, as seen in Fig.5. When the piece is fired by the spring moveinent of the barrel to the rear the flange of the cartridge slips over this tooth,'which slides up in front of said flange, as will be readily understood. When next the barrel-is slid forward by the trigger-lever the hold of the tooth upon the-flange of the cartridge detains the cartridge-shell, allowing the barrel to slide away therefrom until, as the barrel is projected beyond the cartridge-tube, leav-.

ing the shell detained thereupon, the upward spring movement of the cartridge-tube throws the shell ofithe piece. This upward spring movement of the cartridge-tube carries its mouth again into linewith the discharged harrel.- The spring in the tube again forces the forward cartridge into the barrel, thereby reloadin g it. The trigger-lever again forces down the cartridge-tube and hreech piece, thereby again discharging the piece, which operation is repeated until the magazineis exhausted oi cartridges and replenished for continued 11% of the pistol. p The particular construction of the various parts described may be varied from that shown in the drawings without departins from the spirit of my invention, their arrangement and method of operation, however, heing those preferred by inc. 7

I claim- 1. A tire-arm having a sliding barrel, the charge of which, inserted at the breech, is fired by driving back the barrel against a percussion or breech block. I

2. I also claim. the swingingioreech or per cnssion block, constructed and arranged to operate with respect to the barrel and the mags zine or cartridge tube substantially as set forth.

3. I also claim the magazine or cartridge tube when arranged to connect with and be or percussion block toswing above the path of movement of the cartridge-tube to permit the connection of the cartridge-tube and; barrel and the cockingrof the piece.

6. Also, the arrangement of the cartridgetube to allowof its movement to permit the descent into place of the breech-block and the spring movement of the barrel.

7. I also cla-im the manner of withdrawing and'expelling'vthe shell of the exploded cartridge b'ydetain'in it upon the cartridge-tube or breech block' an throwing it therefrom, substantially as set forth.

8. I also claim producing the forward movement of the barrel and the downward movement of the cartridge-tube by the direct action of the trigger lever, substantially as set forth.

9. I also claim the arrangement of the barrel within a case or cylinder containing the spring,

" by which the rear or percussion movement of the. barrel is produced.

10. I also claim so combining the magazinetube and percussion-block that they move together or as one piece, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof Iv have hereunto set my li ld this 27th day of December, A.VD. 1864.

HENRY WHEELER.

In presence. of

J. B. CROSBY, F. GOULD. 

